From March 10 - March 12, the scientific conference of ANRS MIE partners in Vietnam, co-organized by the French National Agency for the Study of Emerging Infectious Diseases (ANRS MIE) in coordination with Hanoi Medical University (ĐHYHN), took place in Hanoi.
Notably, the conference gathered many leading scientists in the world in infectious diseases such as Professor Yazdan Yazdanpanah, Director of ANRS MIE; Professor Françoise Barré Sinoussi, Nobel Prize in Medicine in 2008 - who made many important contributions to the prevention of infectious diseases in Vietnam, and 150 leading scientists from many countries.
Speaking at the opening, Deputy Minister of Health Nguyen Thi Lien Huong said that infectious diseases in the world are continuing to develop complicatedly. The COVID-19 pandemic has left many profound lessons about the importance of the epidemiological surveillance system, scientific research capacity and international cooperation.
In addition, infectious diseases such as HIV, viral hepatitis, tuberculosis, dengue fever, sexually transmitted diseases and many emerging and re-emerging diseases are still a health burden in many countries, including Vietnam.
According to the Deputy Minister, Vietnam is orienting the development of the health system towards proactive prevention, improving disease forecasting and response capacity, while promoting scientific research and international integration. In that context, the cooperation between the Ministry of Health and ANRS MIE is of strategic significance.
Prof. Dr. Nguyen Huu Tu - Rector of Hanoi National University of Medicine and Pharmacy - said that the conference program focuses on many fields of practical significance for Vietnam such as dengue fever, emerging viruses, tuberculosis, HIV, viral hepatitis and sexually transmitted diseases.
According to Professor Tu, the Hanoi National University of Medicine and Pharmacy accompanying ANRS MIE and international partners demonstrates a strong commitment to participating in the network of infectious disease research in the region and globally, thereby improving research, monitoring and response capacity to infectious diseases in Vietnam.
In two working days, the conference organized 9 thematic sessions to update many advances in epidemiology, diagnosis, treatment, clinical trials and vaccination strategies. Scientists also discussed epidemiological trends of dengue fever, new respiratory viruses, avian flu and challenges in disease surveillance.
In the field of tuberculosis, experts exchanged strategies towards the goal of ending tuberculosis by 2035, as well as managing latent tuberculosis and tuberculosis in high-risk groups.
Regarding HIV/AIDS, the conference updated new treatment regimens, HIV-infected person management models and HIV pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP) studies. Advances in the treatment of hepatitis B and C viruses, as well as antibiotic resistance of gonorrhea bacteria and sexually transmitted disease prevention strategies were also discussed.
Assoc. Prof. Dr. Phan Thi Thu Huong - Secretary of the Party Committee of Hanoi National University of Medicine and Pharmacy, and also coordinator of ANRS MIE Site Partner in Vietnam said that the conference is an important scientific forum to update new scientific evidence, share practical experiences and promote research cooperation in the field of infectious diseases.
According to Assoc. Prof. Huong, many research results presented at the conference are multinational studies on HIV, viral hepatitis and emerging infectious diseases and countries that can be used to build health policies and orient research cooperation programs.
The conference is organized by ANRS MIE in Vietnam since 2000 and has been maintained to this day. Over the past two decades, over 40 studies have been published in prestigious international journals, while contributing to promoting research and training cooperation between Vietnamese scientists and international partners.
